Name:_________________________________________________ Group #_________ Your #_________
LAB: The Effects of Albedo and Greenhouse Gases on Earth’s Atmosphere
This lab is designed to show the effect that albedo and greenhouse gases have on the warming
of our atmosphere. The albedo of a surface controls how much radiant energy is absorbed by the
surface and how much of it is reradiated back into space. Greenhouse gases, such as water vapor,
carbon dioxide and methane in the troposphere, together with ozone in the stratosphere, work together
to trap this reradiated energy too warm the earth. Without this capture of heat, some climatologists
estimate that the average temperature of the earth would be diminished up to 60° C. The purpose of
this lab is to illustrate various combinations of albedo and greenhouse gases and their effectiveness at
warming the earth.
Materials:
small beakers
cold water
thermometers
various surfaces and coverings
rubber bands
sunshine
Group setups: Group One - albedo: concrete; greenhouse gas: none
Group Two – albedo: concrete; greenhouse gas: plastic wrap
Group Three – albedo: concrete; greenhouse gas: waxed paper
Group Four - albedo: concrete; greenhouse gas: colored paper
Group Five – albedo: grass; greenhouse gas: none
Group Six – albedo: grass; greenhouse gas: plastic wrap
Group Seven – albedo: grass; greenhouse gas: waxed paper
Group Eight – albedo: grass; greenhouse gas: colored paper
Group Nine – albedo: black paper; greenhouse gas: none
Group Ten – albedo: black paper; greenhouse gas: plastic wrap
Group Eleven – albedo: black paper; greenhouse gas: waxed paper
Group Twelve – albedo: black paper; greenhouse gas: colored paper
Make a Hypothesis: Which group set up do you expect to have the greatest temperature change and
why? __________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Which group set up do you expect to have the least temperature change and
why? __________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Name:_________________________________________________ Group #_________ Your #_________
Procedure:
Construct miniature atmospheric systems by preparing beakers as assigned. Use
thermometer to obtain an initial reading. Use data table below to record this reading
along with additional readings at the time and intervals indicated.
Data Table:
Group Initial 3min 6 min 9min 12min 15min 18min 21min
#
temp
1
15
15
16
20
22
23
26
28
Wrap up:
2
15
17
17
18
21
22
24
27
3
15
16
17
19
21
22
24
35
4
17
16
17
19
21
22
24
25
5
15
16
17
17
20
23
24
26
6
13
20
21
26
26
28
29
30
7
15
19
22
24
28
33
31
32
8
15
18
20
22
26
28
30
36
9
16
18
21
29
31
33
36
41
10
15
20
26
28
29
30
31
33
11
18
22
28
29
30
30
31
32
12
18
19
24
30
31
32
38
40
Construct two graphs. The first will be a bar graph where you will indicate the
temperature changes of each group. The second will be a line graph. On this graph,
plotting time on the X axis and temperature change on the Y, compare the results of
your group to the group with the least temperature change and the group with the
most. Make sure to use color and to label each graph fully. Then, answer the questions
that follow.
Name:_________________________________________________ Group #_________ Your #_________
Temperature Change Comparison of All Groups
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Comparison Graph of My Group v. Groups with Greatest and Least Temperature Change
12
Name:_________________________________________________ Group #_________ Your #_________
Questions:
1. What did the surface below the beaker represent?__________________________
2. What was represented by the plastic wrap, waxed paper and colored paper?
____________________________________________________________________
3. How did your hypothesis compare to the actual results? _____________________
4. Which surface represented the highest albedo? _____________________________
5. Which “greenhouse gas” trapped heat the most effectively?___________________
6. Earth’s average temperature is 61.8° C. Without greenhouse gases and the ozone
layer, what would Earth’s average temperature be on the Fahrenheit scale?
___________________ degrees Fahrenheit